The good guys thread

I think I've posted before how I am sick and tired of us (I mean the world) focusing on the negative news. We are so quick to publish and post stories about sad, sick situations. But, we are less likely to post about the good people and situations in the world. So, I'm starting this thread for all the good guys of the world. There are far more good people than bad in the world and they deserve to be recognized. Please add your stories.

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa

Anchorage, Alaska had a huge windstorm on Tuesday, September 4th. Bobcat and I live on the east side of Anchorage and were without power until Friday night. We made it just fine -- though it was in the 40's at night. Thankfully, we have 2 fireplaces/woodstoves. We stayed warm and enjoyed cooking out on the grill until the power came back on.

Alaskans don't call 911 unless it is a "real" emergency. Power outages aren't an emergency. Earthquakes are not an emergency. They are just part of life.

Our local newspaper is publishing thank yous from locals to their neighbors for helping out and I thought I'd share them with you.

We asked readers to tell us about friends, neighbors or strangers who went out of their way to help during or after the big windstorm that hit Anchorage and the Mat-Su on Tuesday.
Here are some of their thank-you notes:

Thank you to Bob, an employee at a local gym, for the free shower!
-- Deb Prince
***
I woke up on the second day with no power, craving coffee. My neighbor, Jerry Linkovich, across the street had power with Chugach Electric but I was on (ML&P). I knew he wasn't awake yet so I carried my coffee pot across the street in my pajamas and robe. I set it on his driveway and plugged it into his outside outlet. In a few minutes I had a fresh pot of coffee to put in my thermos. Thanks, Jerry!
-- Jeri Beall
***
When I came home after working a 12-hour night shift, I found one of my large trees in front of my house had been uprooted and had fallen partially onto the street.
My neighbor Kathy was already out with her chain saw and had the part on the street cut back and was removing branches. When asked what she was doing her response was "just being neighborly"!
She went way above being "neighborly." She finished cutting up the tree that day and pulled the brush to the side of my house so wind wouldn't blow it all over. Kathy, you'll never know how much I appreciate you for doing that as I was scheduled to work that night and needed to sleep. Thanks again for "just being neighborly"!
-- Willie J. Johnson
***
I live in East Anchorage, one of the hardest-hit areas. The morning after the storm, I could see my backyard filled with tree limbs. I went out the front door to check my house and car. Both were fine, but there were huge tree limbs, mostly cottonwood, just piled up in my driveway, blocking my car. Some of the severed limbs were themselves as big as small trees. I realized I would probably have to hire someone to clear the debris, because I was just out of the hospital and recuperating from 2 major surgeries. I deided that I could at least pick up some of the smaller branches.
As I was starting about this task, a blue pickup truck with the license plate "AKGURL" pulled up. Out came a middle-aged man, and a young lady and young gentleman. "We'll get it; we'll get it" they said, and in a little more than 5 minutes they had cleared the limbs away so I would be able to drive out. I thanked them profusely, but didn't even get their names. They piled back into their truck after saying they were glad to help me out. So, I would publicly thank the crew of the AKGURL truck. I truly felt they were heaven-sent.
-- Marie Ward
***
My fiancé is with the Chugiak Fire Department. Him and his crew were out all night till after 5 a.m. clearing downed trees in the Chugiak Birchwood area, and marking off ones that were tied up with electrical cables. Ian Murphy -- you rock!
-- Misty Wright
***
We have been without power since Tuesday night. I posted sort of joking about it on Facebook. An ex-colleague, Marty Lemon, sent me a message saying he would be happy to loan me a generator. He and his wife came over late Friday night with the generator, fuel and extension cords and helped us set it up. I am very grateful to know such kind and generous people!
-- Diane Blakey
***
We live near the airport on Connors Trail Circle. We want to give a big thanks to our longtime neighbors and friends, Butch and Kay Hautanen, for storing our frozen fish in their generator-fired freezer. Our power was out for about 72 hours and if it were not for their willingness to help, our fish would have spoiled.
-- Steve and Weslei Horn
***
We have been without power since Tuesday at 10 p.m. It is now Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Our home is on the lower Hillside a block north of the zoo. Thank God for our incredible neighbor, Steve Flowers. He is truly a good Samaritan.
Knowing our power was off, he came driving up our driveway with a small trailer housing a 3,000-watt generator that he had rebuilt, a 5-gallon can of gasoline and a quart of oil to get us started.
He hooked it up for us and we have been able to have heat from the furnace and water pumped from the well, critical as we have a 29-year-old horse and a 22-year-old pony stabled here at our home. Not only did he provide help for us, but two other neighbors as well, providing them with generators.
He is one of the kindest, most generous men I have ever known.
-- Jane and Greg Tibbetts
***
Thanks to Flossie Davenport for bringing her chain saw to town all the way from Palmer to save us some time with our downed red willow tree in the backyard. Couldn't have asked for a better friend! Love you, Floss.
-- Beverly
***
During our 60 hours of the power outage, my neighbors went above and beyond to help me out while my husband was at training out of state.
The first morning, I went over to their house to see how things went for them and they offered me coffee made with their percolator. The second morning without power my neighbors brought me coffee at 6 a.m.
That day other neighbors were offering a generator for my freezer. I was so grateful to have thoughtful neighbors. It was clear that I needed to buy my own generator. While at Sportsman's Warehouse, they helped me choose which one to get, also taught me how to use it. My sincere appreciation to my neighbors, shout out to Ruthann, Dicky and Terry.
-- Roxana Kashatok
***
I want to thank my neighbor Denver Patterson and all his friends for clearing the street of the tree that had blocked it. They braved the storm to get the road cleared; they were out there until 3 a.m. getting it done. We are talking a young man in his early 20s and his buddies who are all between the ages of 16 and 18.
The next day be was out helping several other neighbors clearing trees off their trailers too. Once he went around to help them all out, he worked on the damage done to his trailer. So my husband and I went out and helped him for another four hours cleaning up. He is a true sweetheart!
-- <3 Sharae
***
I had just gone to Costco and I had three bags full of meats, cheeses and perishables. My friend from work took everything home to her freezer so it wouldn't be wasted. Another friend let me charge my phone, offered hot water. Lots of generous people around here!
-- Nena Robb
***
I'm not sure who it was but someone cut up the two trees that fell in our yard from the empty lot next door. They were careful to not make the broken fence worse. They also stacked all of the wood. It might have been Enstar or another group but it was a great surprise to come home to.
-- Sus Wilson Nesbitt
***
My wonderful neighbors Richard and Gayle Cederburg, and their son. Their son borrowed a generator and brought it over to the Cederburgs' home, and knocked on my door saying I was welcome to connect my freezer to it too. There is nothing like good neighbors!
-- Roberta Sanders
***
My cousins Daniel and Rodney who live in my neighborhood went out of their way to help me (I had no heat) even when they were stuck without electric and heat. I wish I could have thrown them an extension cord.
-- Carol Hull
***
Our neighbor loaned us a spare generator so that we could keep our freezer running!
-- Marcy Fandrich Adkins
***
I wanted to thank former Assembly member Mike Gutierrez. He came over to my house and cut up four big cottonwoods (50-plus feet) that had gone through my backyard as well as two of my neighbors' yards. Then he went so far as to stack all the wood neatly up for us so the pieces weren't all laying all over the yard so my dogs could use the yard. It was a very kind gesture, and to see that done for me after a long day at work, I was ecstatic. From now on Mike G will be known to me as Magic Mike!
-- Jacob Polzin
***
I was loading up the car ready to drive up to Chugiak to save the fish in my freezer. My neighbor who just picked up a generator gave me almost his entire deep freezer to store the fish. Then his wife and kids gave me tons of candles. Sadly I'm still using the candles and the generator is still running (Friday).
--Kristin Spack
***
I had my hands full of two kids freaking out about the exploding transformers. But all of us neighbors watched out for each other.
-- Susan Ellinger Clark
***
My coworker said her daughter's neighbor ran an extension cord across the street for her so she could plug in her freezer! One side of the street had power and the other didn't.
-- Jessica Borenin
***
Group of three or four walk back and forth on the street with flashlights checking on neighbors.
-- HÃ¢nh LiÃªn
***
My friends Marty Lemon and Debra Perala came to my assistance Wednesday afternoon to help me remove a tree from my roof. It was not an easy task, especially halfway into the effort that we spent working in the pouring rain and wind.
They are also storing frozen food for a friend. Last night they took a generator and set it up for some other friends of ours with two little kids that have been without power for over three days now.
-- Pamela Pope
***
Thank you to the board and neighbors in the Kempton Hills Homeowners Association for donating your time, skills and heavy equipment towards collecting all the fallen trees from the neighborhood. It's great to know that we can come together as a community and help take care of each other!
-- Joel Swanson
***
As always, neighbors united here to make sure all were well! Very fortunate to have the BEST of friends, and neighbors. To me that's what makes Anchorage unique.
-- Tom Bargelski

I have a couple to get the ball rolling. Nothing tremendously heroic, but both are worth honorable mention.

The first one was actions taken by my son. He was stopped at a red light on a 6 lane divided highway, when out of the corner of his eye, he noticed movement. He glanced over at the car next to him, and a small kitten dropped out onto the road from the undercarriage - right by one of the tires. If the car moved, it would have been the end of kitty. Son jumped out of his car and started banging on the window of the other car, until the woman rolled the window down. In the meantime, the light turned green and other cars, not knowing what was going on, started honking their horns impatiently. Son is holding up his hands and waving them - getting people to calm down and not to move their cars. The woman in the other car got out, and between the 2 of them, they managed to rescue a very frightened kitten from the middle of a very busy highway - and from certain death. She had no idea where the cat came from - it wasn't hers - but living in the country, it could have come from just about anywhere. Another woman and her young son pulled off the highway to see what was happening, and she offered to give the kitty a home. A happy ending!

The second involved me and some total strangers. It was a cold day and a freezing drizzle was falling. I glanced out my front window and saw a car skid off the road and end up in the ditch across the street from my house. After not seeing any movement in the car, I decided to walk out to see if anyone needed help. I got almost to the road and stepped off of the grass (which wasn't slippery), onto the gravel driveway (which was slippery), and my feet went out from under me and I landed with a thud and couldn't get up. Cars are going by and either no one noticed me laying there, or just couldn't be bothered stopping to help. Finally a couple of guys in a pickup truck saw me and stopped, carried me almost 100' back to the house, got me inside and called for an ambulance, and then went to check out the car in the ditch - 2 teenage girls and they weren't hurt. As it was, I had a fractured femur which required surgery - almost a week in the hospital - then another 2 weeks in rehab - and several months of outpatient p.t. after that. I certainly wish I had gotten those guys names so I could at least have thanked them properly when I was able. And when I was in the hospital - in walks a nurse with her teenage daughter, with a big bouquet of flowers for me. Come to find out that it was the teen that was driving the car that I went out to check on, and she felt responsible for me ending up in the hospital and wanted to try to cheer me up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wolfy ~ Fuzzbutt #3

My little dog ~ a heartbeat at my feet

Sparky the Fuzzbutt - PT's DOTD 8/3/2010
RIP 2/28/1999~10/9/2012

Myndi the Fuzzbutt - Mom's DOTD - Everyday
RIP 1/24/1996~8/9/2013

Ellie - Mom to the Fuzzbuttz

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1

The clock of life is wound but once and no man has the power
To know just when the hands will stop - on what day, or what hour.
Now is the only time you have, so live it with a will -
Don't wait until tomorrow - the hands may then be still.
~~~~true author unknown~~~~

Wow! Nice idea, Lisa I really like this thread Those stories were amazing!!
Loved your stories Pomtzu Wowie!! The second one was jaw-dropping!
What happy (and awesome) news, Karen Its sad that the Sumatran orangutans are endangered..

Well, I'm not sure WHAT to share, so, not sure about what good news I can tell you all :P

Ooh! My aunt sent me a video. It was about a duck and her little ducklings. They were crossing a highway, and it was so terrifying! And in the end of the clip, it said, "#YouCanBreatheNow"
It did have a happy ending. Here's the video for those who haven't seen it

Awww. Humans made a difference in the quality of her life. I had no idea that Orangutans could get cataracts.
I wonder if all animals (if they have an injury or live long enough) can develop cataracts?

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa

I have a couple of stories. One I believe I posted pictures here somewhere. But a mother duck and her 11 babies were in our court when the babies fell down into the (dry) drainage grate. The mother duck was so upset. I called AC and while waiting my neighbor came down to see what was going on. There were a couple of people with him. The woman said she had long arms and could probably reach them. She got more than half of them out and then used a pool net to get the rest.

This morning on the local radio station I listen to on my way to work, one of the guys told the story of how his mom was walking into a store and saw a little girl walking with a man and the little girl was very upset. For some reason the woman stopped and asked the little girl if she was okay and asked where her mom was. Apparently this man has just grabbed this girls hand and was planning on walking out the door with her. I guess while the woman was talking to the child the man just left. So she helped the girl find her mom. End of story. She just saved that little girl from being kidnapped!!!

Our goal in life should be - to be as good a person as our dog thinks we are.
Thank you for the siggy, Michelle!

....
Ooh! My aunt sent me a video. It was about a duck and her little ducklings. They were crossing a highway, and it was so terrifying! And in the end of the clip, it said, "#YouCanBreatheNow"
It did have a happy ending. Here's the video for those who haven't seen it

Ooh! My aunt sent me a video. It was about a duck and her little ducklings. They were crossing a highway, and it was so terrifying! And in the end of the clip, it said, "#YouCanBreatheNow"
It did have a happy ending. Here's the video for those who haven't seen it

Awww. Humans made a difference in the quality of her life. I had no idea that Orangutans could get cataracts.
I wonder if all animals (if they have an injury or live long enough) can develop cataracts?

I'm pretty sure any animal can develop cataracts, though it definitely has a lot to do with genetics.

Awww. Humans made a difference in the quality of her life. I had no idea that Orangutans could get cataracts.
I wonder if all animals (if they have an injury or live long enough) can develop cataracts?

I believe any animal can, as I know humans and other primates can, dogs can, cats can, sea lions can, snakes can ... all very different animals, but that have eyes.

I wonder if all animals (if they have an injury or live long enough) can develop cataracts?

I imagine most animals can if they live long enough. Myndi has one that is very visible in one of her eyes, and the other eye isn't quite as bad. One of my RB Lhasas also had cataracts and eventually went blind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wolfy ~ Fuzzbutt #3

My little dog ~ a heartbeat at my feet

Sparky the Fuzzbutt - PT's DOTD 8/3/2010
RIP 2/28/1999~10/9/2012

Myndi the Fuzzbutt - Mom's DOTD - Everyday
RIP 1/24/1996~8/9/2013

Ellie - Mom to the Fuzzbuttz

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1

The clock of life is wound but once and no man has the power
To know just when the hands will stop - on what day, or what hour.
Now is the only time you have, so live it with a will -
Don't wait until tomorrow - the hands may then be still.
~~~~true author unknown~~~~

My husband and I were just 4 months into the waiting period for a domestic adoption when we got the call that changed our lives. We had been matched with a birth mother 800 miles away, and we had only 2 days to get on the road and get our baby! (We couldn't fly because she was a preemie.) We were totally unprepared. But when we finally came home with our newborn after 11 days out of state and a 14-hour car ride, we couldn't believe what we saw: Our extended family had decorated the nursery, loaded the closet with baby clothes and even installed a changing table with diapers, wipes and supplies. I was already in tears, but then I noticed a sign hanging on the nursery wall that read, "However motherhood comes, it's a miracle." We called every member of our family to thank them, and we all cried together.

Andrea Fox, Boston

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa

After my husband, Sean, deployed with his National Guard troop in August, I immediately took my kids on vacation to Chicago so we wouldn't come home to a sad, empty house. While we were gone, our town flooded, leaving my basement under seven inches of water. I was expecting to return to a nightmare, but when we got home, some neighbors had pulled out all our sodden carpet and another neighbor left a note on my cupboard that said, "Welcome home! Supper is in the fridge." It was so nice, it still makes me cry.

Shannon Taylor, Ames, Iowa

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa

My daughter has a severe form of epilepsy. When she was 8 we had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to take her to see a European specialist who would be in Chicago for a conference. Getting there from Utah was a huge financial strain so we threw a yard sale to help pay for the trip. A man stopped by and asked why we were raising money. After we told him, he left, borrowed a neighbor's computer and then came back with a printout. It was a reservation for a Chicago hotel, paid in full for our entire trip! Seeing the specialist made a huge difference for my daughter, and though we never even learned the man's last name, his kindness truly changed our lives.

Kris Hansen, West Jordan, Utah

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa